Snowblower attachments on light garden tractors?

[jpilk99]

Hi All,

I bought a brand new Husqvarna LGT 24K54 last spring and love it. Mowing about 2 acres and doing lots of landscaping (bought a great steel cart).

Had thought of installing a Bercomac 40" snowblower attachment with the wheel weights and chains. Bought a used setup this summer and was just about ready to install.

Wondering how effective these setups are and if they damage the tractor.

With only the chains on the tractor can barely move in 3 or 4 inches of crusty snow --- on level ground. Any minor incline and it's toast. Obviously the wheel weights will help, but, I'm 225lbs ...doubtful that another 70 or 80lbs will make a tremendous difference.

In addition, I don't want to beat the snot out of this tractor - I want it to be around for many years mowing grass and hauling dirt/rocks/leaves etc. I don't know if by adding all the weight and attachments will greatly age the machine.

I look forward to hearing someone's experiences along these lines.

Thanks a bunch,

Jay

 

[PowerEngineer]

I ran a 32" front mount blower on a Honda HA4120 garden tractor for six or seven years. It worked really well and I don't think it was too hard on the tractor. But... it all depends on what your terrain looks like, how deep the snow is, and how far you want to move it. The biggest drawback that I found was that it didn't throw snow as far as I would have liked. You lose a lot of power going through two different belt drives to get power to the auger and impeller. But I was also asking a lot of the unit - clearing a big area and needed the snow to go pretty far. 40" seems on the big side for your tractor but after the first pass you can take partial passes. Hydrostatic is great for blowing snow too.

As far as traction, chains were a must. I also had a factory weight kit that hung low off the back of the tractor and that really helped with traction too. With those two plus my fat butt on the tractor I never got stuck as long as I was blowing the snow from in front of the tractor.... you are always clearing your own path.

Good luck with it and have fun!

 

[mpham]

I ran this 40ish Berco on my Husky for 8 years here in New England. I have a pretty good incline and I could blow through 12 inches of heavy snow easy. Chains and weights were definitely needed. My father in law is using it now that I have a Kioti K20 with FEL and rear blower.

 

[Avondale]

I used a White 17hp with blower and it works. HP was adequate but traction was the main issue. Most important with mine was were you put the weight. Wheel weights and chains were min requirement but big problem was weight of blower so far out front took away weight effect actually felt on the rear wheels, (including my winter weight of +200lbs). Anything other than flat ground became noticeable, especially when blower "dipped" down in a sloped area. Huge improvements noted with every bit of available weight behind the axle. Other big item was belt tensions. Ensure springs on auto tensioners are up to task.

 

[tcartwri]

I good walk behind is far superior to a garden tractor arrangement.

 

[jpilk99]

Thanks folks. That's great feedback. How much weigh in the back would you recommend?

If I decide to sell all the Bercomac equipment, any thoughts what I should be asking? I put in on Craigslist asking $800 - I'm back n' forth on whether to go tractor or walk behind.

Thanks.

 

[PowerEngineer]

About 75 pounds hanging off the back of the Honda worked really well. Not sure on price for selling the Bercomac though. Good luck either way.

 

[rsewill]

I had a well used Coast-to-Coast garden tractor with snowblower that I bought 20 years ago for $250. After spending, through the years, thousands and thousands of dollars (rebuilt engine, new engine, years of modifying and building up the blower) I gave the thing away to some poor schmuck and bought a used machine appropriate to my needs. I now use a 4 wheel drive CUT with a shaft driven blower (Deere 4100). Worth every penny of the $7500 I paid for it.

 

[Jay4200]

Wondering how effective these setups are and if they damage the tractor.

With only the chains on the tractor can barely move in 3 or 4 inches of crusty snow --- on level ground. Any minor incline and it's toast. Obviously the wheel weights will help, but, I'm 225lbs ...doubtful that another 70 or 80lbs will make a tremendous difference.

In addition, I don't want to beat the snot out of this tractor - I want it to be around for many years mowing grass and hauling dirt/rocks/leaves etc. I don't know if by adding all the weight and attachments will greatly age the machine.

I look forward to hearing someone's experiences along these lines.

In my experience, snowblowing is fairly easy work for a tractor.

I've used a 36" 2-stage snowblower for a couple of years on my '87 Snapper LT16. It works very well, but the nagging problem is traction. I have about 60 pounds that I hang on the back of the tractor - seems to make a fair difference. I run chains, and it does pretty well, but does sometimes get stuck, usually due to loss of steering. Luckily, I can give it a good yank and pull the thing out by hand. Steering is the biggest problem - I don't have chains on the front, so it can be stubborn, but raising the blower a tad usually gets it going in the right direction.

You'll need a cab, or at least a good shield. It isn't a luxury, it's an absolute necessity. I made one out of sheet vinyl and electrical conduit for $29:

JayC

 

[crazyal]

I have two Wheel Horse snow blowers, both are single stage that were given to me (even though I don't have a Wheel Horse tractor). I don't think that a single stage blower would work too well though.